It is well known that wooden posts used to support fencing and other structures are particularly prone to rot, fungus and other problems in and closely adjacent to the ground. Although concrete footings are often employed to mount wooden support posts and strengthen and stabilize the position of the posts, concrete footings do not significantly slow down or prevent deterioration of the post at or immediately above the concrete. Exposure to moisture and other factors still result in relatively rapid rot and deterioration of the post at the mounted end thereof. Wooden fence posts, when set in concrete, have a tendency to rot at grade-level, due to the more or less constant influx of moisture and the availability of micro-organisms at the surface of the ground.
The reason that wood posts rot is earth or soil contact at the base of the post where the concrete is set. Most people do not raise the concrete above the ground high enough to prevent dirt build up or the concrete is set below the dirt. The dirt (soil) retains moisture and fungus et cetera which retains the moisture which makes the post spongy.
The same conditions invite invasion of the post by termites.
Replacement of rotted wooden fence posts is an expensive and time consuming procedure. Consequently, numerous systems have been devised in an attempt to reduce and slow down rot and deterioration. Typically, such systems can be relatively ineffective and/or be expensive both in regard to the costly structures employed to provide protection as well as the time consuming and sometimes elaborate and complicated installation procedures involved.
The following patent documents are believed to be representative of the current state of the art in this field: U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2013/0042547, published Feb. 21, 2013, U.S. Pat. No. 7,104,525, issued Sep. 12, 2006, U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,356, issued Apr. 22, 1997, U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,806, issued Aug. 18, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,796, issued May 31, 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,032, issued Dec. 29, 1992, U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2005/0274938, published Dec. 15, 2005, U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,921, issued Mar. 10, 1998, U.S. Patent Pub. No. US 2005/0005540, published Jan. 13, 2005, U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,613, issued Mar. 31, 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,743, issued Jul. 12, 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,340, issued Jan. 24, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,351, issued Aug. 8, 2000 and PCT Pub. No. WO 2004/024443, published Mar. 25, 2004.